timmmay: Given WAP + switch costs about the same as a WAP i'd get the combined one. The only difference to me, and i'm not a network guy, is it gives you plugs just in case you need them in the future. TP-Link have a good reputation, but i've also found Linksys good. They're all much the same for regular stuff.

Just make sure you set it up with WEP2 security.

You mean WPA2 security. WEP is no longer safe to use due to the ease that it can be cracked.

Just a comment I have about satellite. Do they in anyway get any sort of signal from a cell phone. even the smallest signal can usually be improved with a yagi and then BB from mobile is a better and cheaper option than satellite. I have seen heaps of rural people get signed up to satellite when mobile BB would work better.

JimmyLizar: Yes they had a Farmside tech guy there this pm. He was apparently checking to see if they can receive adsl but, as we already knew, it wasn't possible.

Just found out he wasn't checking for adsl but whether they can see the Farmside satellite. Turns out they can't, some large trees in the way. So looks like they will have to chop 4+m off the top of the shelterbelt or go back to dial-up.

Anyone know how to ascertain what areas the rural broadband initiatve will cover?

JimmyLizar: Just found out he wasn't checking for adsl but whether they can see the Farmside satellite. Turns out they can't, some large trees in the way. So looks like they will have to chop 4+m off the top of the shelterbelt or go back to dial-up.

I know some people in the same situation. They can't see IPStar (Farmside) because of hills.

JimmyLizar: Anyone know how to ascertain what areas the rural broadband initiatve will cover?

gwh: At this stage we're not sure of Farmside's plans for use of the GE23 satellite which is in the north. Many of the ruralinzone customers Farmside are taking over will definitely not be able to see the Thaicom satellite that Farmside use. Viasat is dead in the water in NZ also, before the sale Ruralinzone were actively migrating their customer base to a new platform on the same satellite as well as Thaicom 4 ( the farmside sat.) We signed Rivernet up to use the RBI platform through Vodafone and are relieved we did because that gives us a possible option for our satellite customers that wont see the Thaicom satellite that farmside use.

Thanks for your detailed answer Glenn. Hopefully Farmside will see fit to offer an alternate satellite for those who cannot receive coverage from Thaicom4.

The RBI sounds all well and good, but these are the main problems with it:

1) Unless you have a strong to very strong signal, with not too many other users on that particular cellsite, it's not stable enough to use VoIP (in my experience).

2) Rollout in some areas is up to 6 years away, and Vodafone have not released any schedule indicating when particular areas will receive service.

3) Some areas can already receive 3G Extended coverage, but the RBI plans have not been made available, so people are stuck with only 2 or 4GB of data at exorbitant prices (RBI will offer up to 10GB for $90 which is not too bad).

gwh: At this stage we're not sure of Farmside's plans for use of the GE23 satellite which is in the north. Many of the ruralinzone customers Farmside are taking over will definitely not be able to see the Thaicom satellite that Farmside use. Viasat is dead in the water in NZ also, before the sale Ruralinzone were actively migrating their customer base to a new platform on the same satellite as well as Thaicom 4 ( the farmside sat.) We signed Rivernet up to use the RBI platform through Vodafone and are relieved we did because that gives us a possible option for our satellite customers that wont see the Thaicom satellite that farmside use.

Thanks for your detailed answer Glenn. Hopefully Farmside will see fit to offer an alternate satellite for those who cannot receive coverage from Thaicom4.

The RBI sounds all well and good, but these are the main problems with it:

1) Unless you have a strong to very strong signal, with not too many other users on that particular cellsite, it's not stable enough to use VoIP (in my experience).

2) Rollout in some areas is up to 6 years away, and Vodafone have not released any schedule indicating when particular areas will receive service.

3) Some areas can already receive 3G Extended coverage, but the RBI plans have not been made available, so people are stuck with only 2 or 4GB of data at exorbitant prices (RBI will offer up to 10GB for $90 which is not too bad).

Hi Grant,

rather than push my own companies barrow too publicly PM me if you want more info about how the RBI works right now. As I said in a previous post, we are service providers to the RBI and have started connecting people up.

To answer your points: 1. The RBI indoor units are cabled to a 11dBi antennae. The connections are rock solid and one of our partner companies has successfully trialled VOIP. We will trial it ourselves before selling it but the results from the test our partner did are encouraging. 2. Rollout is progressive throughout the country but a schedule is available through either/or Chorus and Vodafones website. I dont have the links to hand sorry but its there somewhere.